WEBVTT ELECTIONS EVER HELD IN ALBUQUERQUE. A RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY VOTED EARLY...THEY'RE DECIDING WHETHER ALBUQUERQUE SHOULD BAN ABORTIONS, AFTER 20 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY. AND PLENTY OF PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO VOTE TODAY. KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER MIKE SPRINGER IS AT MONTGOMERY CROSSING ... ONE OF THE BUSIEST POLLING SPOTS TODAY. MIKE? DOUG, THIS IS ONE OF THE LONGEST LINES WE'VE SEEN ALL DAY. PEOPLE HERE TELL US THEY'VE HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO VOTE WE CHECKED IN WITH CITY CLERK AND BOTH PRO-CHOICE AND PRO-LIFE GROUPS AND DESPITE THESE HIGH NUMBERS AT THE POLLS, THEY SAY EVERYTHING HAS BEEN GOING SMOOTHLY. THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS EXPECTING A HIGH VOTER TURNOUT TODAY BECAUSE OF THE ISSUE AT HAND-WHETHER TO BAN LATER TERM ABORTIONS IN THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE. AND IT'S ALSO BEEN A VERY CONTROVERSIAL ONE. WE SPOKE TO THE CLERK WHO SAYS HER OFFICE RECEIVED SOME THREATENING PHONE CALLS OVER THE SUMMER BECAUSE OF THE PROPOSED ORDIANCE. we deal with upset people as the clerk's office all the time. The city hearing office is part of my office so my staff is really very, very good at and experienced at de-escalating upset people BAILEY COULDN'T SAY WHO MADE THE CALLS OR EXTACTLY WHAT WAS SAID. WE DID ASK HER IF THERE WOULD BE AN EXTRA SECURITY BECAUSE OF IT AT EITHER POLLING SITES OR THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND SHE SAID NO. BUT SHE SAYS THE POLICE ARE AWARE OF WHERE THE POLLING LOCATIONS ARE AND WOULD BE ALERTED IF THERE WAS A PROBLE. REPRORTING FROM NORTH EAST ALBUQUERQUE MIKE SPRINGER KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS THIS COULD BE A HISTORIC ELECTION, POSSIBLY SETTING THE STAGE FOR OTHER CITIES AND STATES TO DO THE SAME. DOUG FERNANDEZ IS WITH KOAT POLITICAL ANALYST, BRIAN SANDEROFF TO DISCUSS TONIGHT'S SPECIAL ELECTION. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MORE PEOPLE TURNING OUT FOR THIS SPECIAL ELECTION THAN THE MAYORAL ELECTION? TURNOUT WAS HIGH. AS A MATTER OF FACT, EARLY VOTING WAS MUCH HIGHER THAN LAST MONTH'S MAYORAL ELECTION. WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT THE CITY? THE ELECTION IN ALBUQUERQUE HAPPENED BECAUSE THE LAW ALLOWS FOR THIS KIND OF ISSUE TO GO TO A SPECIAL ELECTION. ALBUQUERQUE HAPPENED BECAUSE THE LAW ALLOWS FOR THIS KIND OF ISSUE TO GO TO A SPECIAL ELECTION. YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO GET OUT AND VOTE-- THE POLLS ARE OPEN UNTIL 7 TONIGHT. YOU CAN FIND A FULL LIST OF THE VOTING CENTERS BY GOING TO KOAT-DOT-COM, THEN CLICKING ON "AS SEEN ON 7".